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Wulfgar lay back in his bed, pondering, trying to coes that I had come over his life Rescued from the demon Errtu and his hellish prison in the Abyss, the proud barbarian found hi friends and allies Bruenor, his adopted dwarven father, was here, and so was Drizzt, his dark elventhat Regis, the chubby halfling, was sleeping contentedly in the next room

And Catti-brie, dear Catti-brie, the woar had come to love those years before, the woman whom he had planned to marry seven years previously in Mithral Hall They were all here at their hoh the heroic efforts of these wonderful friends

Wulfgar did not knohat that h such a terrible ordeal over six years of torture at the clawed hands of the dee man crossed his arms over his chest Sheer exhaustion put hily choose sleep Errtu found hiar, though deep in thought and deep in turmoil, succumbed to his exhaustion and fell into a peaceful blackness that soon turned again into the iray ed Errtu, perched upon his carvedthat hideous croaking chuckle That laugh was borne not out of joy, but was rather a , an insult to those the de wickedness at Wulfgar, as was aie pincer of Bizth beyond the bounds of alar ferociously wrestled Bize hues, the pincer ar desperately

But too e and too strong, and the an to tire

It ended-always it ended-with one of Bizar’s throat, the de the defeated hu technique, Bizar’s throat, took away the air, then gave it back, over and over, leaving theas ar sat up straight in his bed, clutching at his throat, clawing a scratch down one side of it before he realized that the demon was not there, that he was safe in his bed in the land he called home, surrounded by his friends

Friends

What did that word mean? What could they know of his torhtmare that was Errtu?

The haunted ht, and when Drizzt came to rouse hiar already dressed for the road They were to leave this day, all five, bearing the artifact Crenshinibon far, far to the south and west They were bound for Caradoon on the banks of Ireatwhere a priest named Cadderly would destroy the wicked relic

Crenshinibon Drizzt had it with hi The drow didn’t wear it openly, but Wulfgar kneas there He could sense it, could feel its vile presence For Crenshinibon reled with the energy of the de so close, Errtu, too, rear

"A fine day for the road," the drow reht-heartedly, but his tone was strained, condescending, Wulfgar noted With e to punch Drizzt in the face

Instead, he grunted in reply and strode past the deceptively small dark elf Drizzt was but a few inches over five feet, while Wulfgar towered closer to seven feet than to six, and carried fully twice the weight of the drow The barbarian’s thigh was thicker than Drizzt’s waist, and yet, if it came to blows between them, wise bettors would favor the drow

"I have not yet wakened Catti-brie," Drizzt explained

Wulfgar turned fast at the mention of the name He stared hard into the drow’s lavender eyes, his own blue orbsthe intensity that always seeis is already awake and at his et two or three breakfasts in before we leave, no doubt," Drizzt added with a chuckle, one that Wulfgar did not share "And Bruenor will ate He is with his own folk, preparing the priestess Stuar only half heard the words Theyto him

"Shall we rouse Catti-brie?" the drow asked